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James... « When you need vintage comp look no further »
Published on 08/04/11 at 10:31Waves is a solid company that really hasn't failed me yet. Normally I use the SSL plugin for compression but when some of my clients started asking for a more vintage sound I picked this up. Out of the gate the first thing you notice is it looks and feels like a real vintage comp. It has all the controls you would've found on an original. I have a feeling that Waves intended for this to be used on vocals when they designed it, but it turned out to be a useful tool for everything so they just made it an all purpose comp. The presets are good but it's a fairly easy unit to figure out and dial in so they aren't really needed.
SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE
I have always had great stability and performance from waves. More importantly, the sound is great. This is the most realistic (in my opinion) vintage compressor I've used. Alot of vst publishers make stuff like this, but at the end of the day, it sounds like a modern compressor trying too hard to sound old. Waves took a different approach, and closely modeled the actual vintage gear. The result is a vst that has the feel and sound of the real thing. No gimmicks or funniness. My clients seem to love it too. What can I say? It SOUNDS vintage. That's the bottom line. I generally use this on vocals and instruments. Not drums. On guitar is can sound a little weird if you aren't careful. Be light on the settings. I think it ultimately sounds best on vocals.
OVERALL OPINION
I don't like to spend time fine tuning a compressor for hours, so I appreciate that Waves made this one a bare bones style vst. It is vintage after all, so it's more accurate to keep it simple on the strip. What's most appreciated here is the realism you get from this vst. There's a lot of compressors out there, but if you're looking for that 60's/70's style sound, this is the one to get I think.
SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE
I have always had great stability and performance from waves. More importantly, the sound is great. This is the most realistic (in my opinion) vintage compressor I've used. Alot of vst publishers make stuff like this, but at the end of the day, it sounds like a modern compressor trying too hard to sound old. Waves took a different approach, and closely modeled the actual vintage gear. The result is a vst that has the feel and sound of the real thing. No gimmicks or funniness. My clients seem to love it too. What can I say? It SOUNDS vintage. That's the bottom line. I generally use this on vocals and instruments. Not drums. On guitar is can sound a little weird if you aren't careful. Be light on the settings. I think it ultimately sounds best on vocals.
OVERALL OPINION
I don't like to spend time fine tuning a compressor for hours, so I appreciate that Waves made this one a bare bones style vst. It is vintage after all, so it's more accurate to keep it simple on the strip. What's most appreciated here is the realism you get from this vst. There's a lot of compressors out there, but if you're looking for that 60's/70's style sound, this is the one to get I think.